Create speech in response to a crisis depicted in the Riverbend City: Communicating and Leading for Change and Innovation scenario. (all documents to explain scenario attached)
Leaders have countless considerations when communicating. Communicating with larger groups via modern communication vectors increases the complexities, particularly when change is involved. With the increasing proliferation of mass media tools, it is more important than ever to understand the messages that you are sending to large audiences.
Overview
Innovation and change within organizations often requires a deft application of communication principles. In this assessment, you will create a speech in response to a crisis depicted in the Riverbend City: Communicating and Leading for Change and Innovation scenario. (Background on scenario, Email Chain, Member comments, and other documents attached to give overview of scenario)
Preparation
View Riverbend City: (View all attached documents)
Scenario
Based on the communications that you have received from your team depicted in the Riverbend City: Communicating and Leading for Change and Innovation scenario (attached documents), it is clear that your team is resisting the changes being proposed. Your examination of the communication surrounding your team members’ feelings about the changes have left you concerned. Of particular concern have been the communications of Matthew Chu, who has sent group emails with disrespectful comments and memes about the governor. You have resolved to reset the team members’ attitudes so they clearly understand your approach to the changes and how communications among them need to reflect it.
After analyzing the situation, your plan is to briefly introduce items for your team to consider before the meeting via a 4–5 minute speech. Your goals for this speech are to:
Communicate your decision on how you plan to address the governor’s actions and plans.
Explain three critical communication issues and challenges faced by the team, including communication issues to date.
Describe an action or policy that you will introduce to improve communications and assure people are working with a unified purpose.
Define your expectations for ethical discourse in team communications.
Address each aspect of the scenario.
Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:
Competency 1: Analyze business communication situations.
Create an appropriate response to the scenario based upon sound analysis.
Competency 2: Apply fundamental principles of organizational communication.
Create a video that effectively addresses specified goals.
Competency 3: Analyze the interrelationships of communication within organizational systems.
Explain critical communication issues and challenges faced by the team.
Describe an action or policy that would likely improve communications and assure people are working with a unified purpose.
Competency 4: Analyze the application of ethical principles in organizational communication.
Define appropriate expectations for ethical discourse in team communications.
Competency 5: Communicate effectively and professionally.
Organize content for ideas to flow logically with smooth transitions.
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Helpful Resources-
Communicating Change
Understanding the need for change is the first step in creating new behaviors within your organization, behaviors that will represent business values in the future state. Communicating change and sometimes the values associated with it is challenging. As the role of technology grows in the global world, fewer individuals take the time to communicate with people face to face. The following resources examine communicating change.
Ombres, B. B. (2019). 6 tips for communicating organizational change. Public Relations Strategies & Tactics, 2(1), 10.
The author gives six “must dos” to help with the organizational communication change process.
Benz, J. (2019). Personal lessons in communicating change. Workforce, 98(3), 19.
The author, a change management specialist, describes what it was like to manage change when the company she owned merged with another. Managing the change as an owner was an eye-opening experience.
Bogdan, S., Bogdan, M., & Morar, l. (2015). Communication management and the communication of change during organizational change. Review of Management & Economic Engineering, 14(4), 761–765
Solution
Communicating A Team Vision
Greetings to all EOC team members, and thank you for this opportunity to address the issues at hand. First of all, I would like to acknowledge your undying effort to support the group in attaining its objective of distributing water to the flood-affected regions. I recognize that this mission has been challenging, but the team has managed to stabilize the situation in a considerable number of areas so far. I also believe that every member is aware of the unprecedented changes that may occur within the team. These changes include accepting Megan Brock, the governor’s assistant, as a co-leader, changing the current plan to distributing water directly to Brown Trout Bay, and adopting a practice of creating innovative solutions. While these are the most paramount issues that we should focus on, I wish to address other critical elements, such as communication issues faced by the team, expectations for ethical discourse in team communications and establish a policy that will improve inter-group communication.
As mentioned, the governor has communicated some significant changes that he wishes to implement regarding the water supply mission to Brown Trout Bay. Notably, he noted that the water should be shipped directly into the Bay to combat the emerging negative publicity. The governor also mentioned that there needs to be direct state involvement and creative practices in the matter. Therefore, the state will send a co-leader to the team to promote some of these changes. I acknowledge that some are skeptical about the governor’s actions and plans, as manifested in your emails. However, I believe that this change may be inevitable, and the only way to implement it is through the Kotter Model steps. Notably, I will implement the proposed change by first creating a climate for change, engaging each member in the process of change, and ensuring that we all sustain the planned modifications.
Besides the proposed changes, I would like to address our team’s communication issues since its formation. Based on my analysis, I perceive a negative attitude, misinterpretation of messages, and emotion-based response as the team’s core communication challenges. Notably, some of us seem to have a negative attitude towards our colleagues’ personalities, which significantly affects how we communicate. Moreover, failure to take time and interpret messages advanced by our colleagues also inhibit effective communication. The emotions-based response, such as replying emotionally to an email without taking the time to calm possible negative emotions, affects inter-group communication. In my view, addressing these communication challenges promptly will boost the team’s success and even facilitate the preparation for the planned changes.
I will introduce a new communication policy that focuses on promoting constructive discussions during our meetings from the mentioned analysis. Notably, members will only be allowed to discuss the team’s objectives without attacking other members’ personalities. This policy also implies that every message relayed by members should be factual and not based on mere assumptions. The proposed approach will help improve communications by ensuring that we all remain on the course of the matter in focus.
Furthermore, I have established some ethical discourse expectations in team communications that will help guide our relationships. First, I expect all members to communicate factual messages truthfully during all our meetings. I also wish every team member to respect their colleague’s freedom of expression and dissenting opinion. However, while freedom of expression is critical in this team, I expect everyone to present their views without offending others. If we all adhere to this ethical discourse, we shall be better positioned to successfully complete our mission.